MARVIN GAYE: ‘Got To Give It Up’ (from LP ‘Live’, Motown TMSP 6006) (Billboard chart debut 4/2/77)
The ultimate 12-incher, one whole side of double LP devoted to this incredible, ethereal, jaunty chugger, feather light but funky.
KARMA: ‘Funk De Mambo’ (A&M AMS 7283) (Billboard chart debut 1/15/77)
Much-imported percussive funker, complex but catchy.
The flood of 12-inch singles continues as more and more record companies realise that the initial sales spurt generated at small cost by a limited number of these “big 45’s” is enough to make the single show up on the national charts. Hence, incidentally, the reason why many 12-inchers bear the same catalogue number as the ordinary 7-inch version!
Feelings among DJ’s are still mixed about the 12-inch phenomenon. Personally, I find myself using more albums now that I’ve mixed up the 12-inchers with them in my LP boxes – others find the 12-inchers too bulky to carry. Again, I prefer them at 33 1/3rpm, finding that the slower speed produces less friction from the slip-mat and makes them easier to cue. However, the majority now prefer them at 45rpm, as the speed then doesn’t need changing by DJ’s who don’t normally use many albums.
Dave Porter of Liverpool’s Oscar club has written in with his views: “The US and UK disco charts are now dominated by 12-inch products – how long before the record companies send out everything in that form? I can see the supposed advantages – different mix, longer version, eye-catching appeal – but will they still be special when and if that happens?”
“They are already on sale to the public before there has been any standardisation of playing speed, so that DJ’s and customers alike are confused by the often unmarked difference of speeds. They are neither LP’s nor singles, but take up the space of the former. I tend to forget about them, as I find the 7-inchers much handier to use and remember.”
Those are Dave’s thoughts: what are yours? Let me know, both DJ’s and general public.
This week’s 12-inch releases are JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON ‘A Real Mother For Ya’ (DJM DJT 10762) – a semi-slowie with not much disco appeal – of which 5,000 commercially-available copies have been pressed, and CAROL WOODS ‘I’m In Wonderland’ (RCA PB 5012 DJ) – a 7:14 Northern squawker with a long instrumental break from Ian Levine – of which only 800 promotional copies were made. Continue reading “April 9, 1977: “The flood of 12-inch singles continues.””
RCA’s first product on their new TK label – British outlet for Florida’s complex of TK, Glades, Alston, Dash, Marlin, etc – is a set of four albums and two singles. However, the big news is what’s yet to come! At the beginning of May, RCA will be launching the TK Disco 12-inch series in this country, selling the highly-prized “big 45’s” at an economical price.
Their plan is to press the first 10,000 copies of all the TK releases in 12-inch form, making 7-inch two-parters for radio and subsequent commercial release.
Slated to lead the 12-inch assault are T-CONNECTION ‘Do What You Wanna Do’, an insistently rattling stormer that’s rightly the States’ biggest disco hit of the moment, FUNK MACHINE ‘Funk Machine’ and JIMMY BO HORNE ‘Get Happy’.
Meanwhile, the initial release of albums sees the influential percussionist RALPH MACDONALD finally out on his own. As a supersession accompanist he’s been largely responsible for the current percussion trend in disco music. His ‘Sound Of A Drum‘ (TK XL 14030) has his big hit dancer, the happy ‘Calypso Breakdown’, as well as the lovely ‘Where Is The Love‘ and Latin-type ‘Mr. Magic‘.
Florida’s TK label is now distributed here on its own logo by RCA, who hosted a big launching party last week that was attended by several of the TK stars. Full details next week.
New Spins
ROSE ROYCE: ‘I Wanna Get Next To You’ (MCA 278)
’60s-type soul slowie, atmospheric and lovely, with edited ‘Sunrise‘ flip.
TAVARES: ‘Whodunit’ (Capitol CL 15914)
‘Dragnet’-type intro to a good but slow rhythm swayer with catchy lyrics.
D.C. LARUE: ‘Overture (All We Need Is Love)’ (Pye 7N 25740) (Billboard chart debut 12/4/76)
Chugging funky snorter with old Stax touches even, rather strong.
GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR: ‘Hold Back The Night’ (from EP ‘The Pink Panther’, Vertigo PARK 001)
Long a Parker stage fave, the Trammps classic’ll hold them back no more. Dy-na-mite!
STEVE GIBBONS BAND: ‘Tulane’ (Polydor 2058855)
Great choogling Chuck Berry rocker that I’ve been mixing out of ZZ Top’s ‘Arrested For Driving’ and Queen.
J.A.L.N. BAND: ‘Street Dance’ / ‘Nija Walk’ (Magnet MAG 901)
Good “live” medley of the old Fatback biggies.
Imports set the trends for the future and are much used by the hipper club jocks. This page hasn’t reviewed many imports as I think that most DJ’s find it hard enough getting ordinary domestic releases, let alone US hot wax!
However, there is now such interest in twelve-inch disco pressings that imports are becoming more widely accepted.
To help give an ahead-of-the-minute guide to the Stateside vinyl that’s likely to be big here, I’ve recruited a regular panel of top funky club DJ’s to give their current top tips. This week we hear from Chris Hill of Ilford’s Lacy Lady fame, and from Tony Clark of Newcastle’s Julie’s – Tony also works at Callers Record Shop in Newcastle, supplying everyone from Ian Levine on down.
Tony’s tips are:
LA EXPRESS: ‘Dancing The Night Away’ (Caribou)
TIMMY THOMAS: ‘Stone To The Bone‘ (Glades) (Billboard chart debut 3/12/77)
ARTHUR PRYSOCK: ‘I Wantcha Baby‘ (Old Town LP cut) (mentioned in Billboard column 1/15/77, Billboard chart debut 1/29/77)
and, one that Chris has been on for a long time too, BO KIRKLAND & RUTH DAVIS: ‘You’re Gonna Get Next To Me‘ (Claridge LP cut), currently vied for by several UK record labels, it’s so hot!
Chris tips:
URBIE GREEN: ‘Another Star’ (CTI LP cut)
JOE THOMAS: ‘Funky Fever‘ (Groove Merchant 12″) (mentioned in Billboard column 12/25/76)
Are you a DJ on Creole’s mailing list? If so, you’d better check out their new ‘Non-Stop Disco Chartbusters’ album (CRLP 508), as your name is likely to be on the back of it!
Creole have listed all 500 or so DJ’s that were on their books at the end of last year – but, here’s the rub, they’re not sending the album out to them even though they’re thanked for their “continued support”.
How long that support remains forthcoming we must now wait and see, while for those who are interested the album itself really is non-stop, with every track mixing fairly intelligently into the next without even the tiniest gap.
Basically instrumental and decidedly hustling, it contains tracks like CRISPY & CO ‘Brazil’, CHEQUERS ‘Undecided Love’, HOT BLOOD ‘Soul Dracula’, BONEY M ‘Baby Do You Wanna Bump’, BOBBY AZEFF ‘My Way’, LAFAYETTE STREET ‘Chariot’ and SOUL AFFAIR ORCHESTRA ‘Amor Amor’, all in a flurry of sizzling cymbals.
New Spins
SONS OF ROBIN STONE: ‘Got To Get You Back’ (Atlantic K 10723) (Billboard chart debut 10/26/74)
Near legendary 1974 New York disco hit, a cool vocal group thudder, recently released along with other better-known old Warner/Atlantic hits.
ARTHUR PRYSOCK: ‘When Love Is New’ (Polydor 2058842) (mentioned in Billboard column 10/30/76, Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
Lovely jaunty mellow hustler in Lou Rawls style, big in US and a chart chance here.
Following a marathon listen to a whole three weeks’ worth of new releases, here at last is an up-to-date New Spins section . . . in case anyone was worried.
ALFIE KHAN SOUND ORCHESTRA: ‘Law Of The Land’ (Atlantic K 10894)
At last this legendary German instrumental version of the Temptations tune is out here! Although from ’74, it has the ‘Jaws’ sound and should smash.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE: ‘Ten Percent’ LP (Salsoul SZS 5503) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 6/26/76, LP Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
As well as the full superb 6:51 title track, there’s the (less good) 7:00 ‘My Love Is Free‘ US disco hit. A pity radio’s not on ’em.
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